Tuesday Afternoon News, January 30th

STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) – A trial is scheduled to begin May 15 for a woman accused of stealing more than $7,000 while working at a Storm Lake store.
Court records say 19-year-old Abigail Clark, of Early, entered a written plea of not guilty Saturday in Buena Vista County District Court. She’s charged with forgery, theft and ongoing criminal conduct.
Storm Lake police say Clark forged customer names and completed fraudulent returns for cash within the Bomgaars store where she worked, and then kept the money.
Police say that during the investigation, officers recovered more than $400 in merchandise bought with the stolen money from Bomgaars.

Warren County Seeking Help From Towns With Temporary Jail Facilities

INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) – A central Iowa county is seeking help from its major cities to pay for trailers to temporarily house inmates after its jail closes later this week.
The Des Moines Register reports that the Warren County Board of Supervisors will ask city managers in Indianola, Norwalk and Carlisle to help cover the costs of the proposed trailers. The Warren County Jail was ordered to close Feb. 2 after years of problems, including inmate escapes, mold and inadequate water
supplies and food storage.
Iowa Code says counties must “pay the costs of the board and care of the prisoners in the county jail.” But County Supervisor Dean Yordi says he doesn’t believe the trailers are entirely the county’s cost.
Sheriff Brian Vos says the trailers will cost about $18,400 per month.
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Vehicle Traveling The Wrong Way Causes Multiple-Vehicle Accident With Fatalities

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say two drivers have died in a three- vehicle collision involving a car driving south in the northbound lanes of Interstate 380 in Cedar Rapids.
Police say several people called 911 about the car around 9:10 p.m. Monday. Officers soon found the collision wreckage.
The driver headed the wrong way was identified as 69-year-old Robert Norton Jr., who lived in Iowa City. The driver killed in one of the two northbound vehicles was identified as 28-year-old Jennifer Koenighain, who lived in Cedar Rapids.
Two people in the second northbound vehicle were taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Police didn’t release their names.
The collision is being investigated.

Police Identify Man Struck By Train

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have released the name of a man who was struck by a train in central Iowa.
The Des Moines Register reports that the man was walking along tracks when struck around 2:15 p.m. Monday near an overpass in the Story County city of Nevada (nuh-VAYE’-duh). He was taken to a Des Moines hospital and is expected to survive his injuries.
Police identified the man as 29-year-old Calvin White, who lives in Nevada.
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Federal Tax Reform Could Save Money On Utility Bills

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The federal tax cut could save up to $147 million in utility bills for Iowa residents as the state’s investor-owned utility companies pass along some of their giant tax reductions.
The Des Moines Register reports that utility companies, like MidAmerican and Alliant, will save millions as part of the new tax law signed by President Donald Trump in December. Legislation lowering the corporate federal income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent took effect Jan. 1.
Companies have yet to decide how they’ll return savings to customers. Some are considering lowering rates or providing monthly bill credits.
MidAmerican Energy estimates returning between $90 million and $112 million to customers. Interstate Power & Light says it may return between $18.6 million and $19.6 million. Alliant’s gas customers could see between $500,000 and $3.7 million.
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